The Films That I Saw: March 2015

Spring has arrived and it’s the season I detest the most because of allergies as it’s also time for me to embark on some major projects that I want to do for the year. The big one is my list of the best films that I’ve seen so far from 2000 to 2015 which I will unveil in July to celebrate my 15th anniversary as a critic. Yet, there’s things I want to finish first while still taking the time to work and finalize my list. At the same time, I’ve been helping my parents getting into the digital world where they’ve already become accustomed to the world of social media which I still don’t want to be a part of. I think in some respects, I’m an anti-modernist in terms of what is expected in the world of social media.

Helping my parents be part of this new world has taken up some of my time which is a relief as I’ve been needing to spend less time watching film as it has become a chore for a bit. There’s moments where I admit that it’s not fun as I needed a bit of break to do other things for a while. Even as I decided to revisit old films that I hadn’t seen a while and give them a chance for a re-watch without the need to soak into anything intellectual. Even in the world of professional wrestling which it’s become frustrating to deal with as myself and those who love it are forced to deal with idiots who are in favor of sports entertainment and entitled Samoan sissies who haven’t paid their fucking due. I just end up playing games online just to cope with all of the chaos.

In the month of March, I saw a total of 41 films in 19 first-timers and 22 re-watches which is up from last month though my first-timers take is slightly down but that’s OK. One of the highlights of the month that I saw is my Blind Spot assignment in Alphaville. Here are my top 10 first-timers for March of 2015:

1. Du cote de la cote

2. Purple Noon

3. Zazie dans le metro

4. Wild Tales

5. Elevator to the Gallows

6. Heartbeats

7. The Lovers

8. Cold in July

9. The Fire Within

10. Suzanne's Career

Monthly Mini-Reviews

Maleficent

I thought this was pretty good as it’s just a unique reinterpretation of Sleeping Beauty where it’s told from the perspective of its villainess. While it is a film that is style over substance, it does have moments that are quite enjoyable as Angelina Jolie definitely brings everything to her performance as the titular character. Even in moments where she provides bits of humor that is often overlooked as she’s often known for being serious. Adding to the film’s charm is Elle Fanning as Aurora as she manages to be an equal to Jolie as she is also very engaging and more than some damsel-in-distress.

Wrestling Isn’t Wrestling


Max Landis’ short film is something every fan of professional wrestling must see. It is absolutely hilarious as it explains not just people’s fascination with pro wrestling by using Triple H’s own story from his rise to greatness as an example. The wrestlers are played by women which makes it even funnier while the cameos from comedians, actors, and professional wrestling figures just make it even more funnier.

Top 10 Re-Watches:

1. Finding Nemo

2. Goldfinger

3. The Clash: Westway to the World

4. My Summer of Love

5. 9 to 5

6. Little Miss Sunshine

7. Broken Flowers

8. An Officer and a Gentleman

9. Ride with the Devil

10. Dreamgirls

Well, that is all for March. Next month, there will be a diverse array of films I’ll watching including more films by Louis Malle and Agnes Varda as well as films by Jean Cocteau and Robert Altman. Along with Auteurs-related pieces by Jacques Tati, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, and Xavier Dolan, the next subject of the Auteurs series is Bong Joon-ho. Along with some recent and new releases, I hope to review films like Furious 7 and Child 44. Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off…

© thevoid99 2015